How are you feeling about Tavares these days?

[PanniniClaus]

Worst captain in 25 years.

I'll challenge that. Phaneuf was both a shitty player and worse person.

 

[TMLife17]

I'll challenge that. Phaneuf was both a shitty player and worse person.

What examples do you have of Dion being a shitty person? And I'd rather have Dion at 7M playing on this team than JT at 11M.

 

[PanniniClaus]

What examples do you have of Dion being a shitty person? And I'd rather have Dion at 7M playing on this team than JT at 11M.

Not posting them here.. Guy made an ass of himself somewhere every summer. They shared playoff failure.. well double D hardly played much playoff hockey.

 

[TMLife17]

Not posting them here.. Guy made an ass of himself somewhere every summer. They shared playoff failure.. well double D hardly played much playoff hockey.

Honestly don't even care about that anyways. I'd rather have shitty people and win games than whatever this group of fluffs is.

Congrats you visit children's hospital, so you don't need to do what you're paid to do cause you're a good person and we all saw you do it on instagram.

 

[JungleBeat]

Everybody is complaining about Marner but JT is a bigger loser and the C.

 

[Not My Tempo]

When we signed JT I was excited based off of three expectations:

1. He would be worth 11M at first but then slowly age out. Turns out he just dropped off a cliff.

2. We’d have at least had a few runs by the time he did age out so it would be fine.

3. I thought Willy would sign for like 6.5M, Marner 8M and Matthews 10M. All for 8 years. The fact that those contracts were all higher than expected remove any kind of wiggle room down the lineup.

 

[leafsfan5]

I'm counting the days until he no longer costs the team 11 million dollars to suck every playoffs

 

[3blizzard4]

JT needs to do the Spezza thing here. Retire and get paid sitting with Tre as Asssiant My Ass.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I've said this before, JT was a fantastic player in his prime...top 10/15 in the league arguably.
He was also a horrible, horrible pick to be captain.

Both statements can be true

 

[Siidekik]

The game is too fast for him now

 

[Stephen]

The last 2 games at home it didn’t look like JT really had much of an idea of where to be, when to handle the puck, where and how to go to the net or whether to get open for a look or just muck it up with no agenda. Just seemed like a total lack of awareness for what needed to be done, how to play the game to make a contribution. Just pucks careening off his stick.

You compare his game to Marchand who is like 4 inches shorter, 2 years older and making half his salary and it’s just cruel.

Also a complete black hole as far as leadership is concerned. No emotional energy. No words to encourage anyone. Nothing to rally the troops.

 

[DuklaNation]

One more year left. His signing basically killed the roster flexibility directly but indirectly also.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

No heart. No jam. No emotion. No inspiration. Just a terrible terrible captain. Nice guy, good guy, PPG player can take a hike. I wouldn't resign this clown for league minimum. Definition of addition by subtraction.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I think he'll make a great scout for the team.

But right now he looks like a 4th liner.

 

[Rare Jewel]

The last 2 games at home it didn’t look like JT really had much of an idea of where to be, when to handle the puck, where and how to go to the net or whether to get open for a look or just muck it up with no agenda. Just seemed like a total lack of awareness for what needed to be done, how to play the game to make a contribution. Just pucks careening off his stick.

You compare his game to Marchand who is like 4 inches shorter, 2 years older and making half his salary and it’s just cruel.

Also a complete black hole as far as leadership is concerned. No emotional energy. No words to encourage anyone. Nothing to rally the troops.

I'm not sure how they bring him back. I'm doubtful they will do it, but if they can't find a trade or he's unwilling to accept one, buying him out needs to be considered, even if there's very little in cap savings.

A change in leadership, culture, or whatever is necessary at this point, and the change itself has value, even if it doesn't help that much economically.

 

[Stephen]

I'm not sure how they bring him back. I'm doubtful they will do it, but if they can't find a trade or he's unwilling to accept one, buying him out needs to be considered, even if there's very little in cap savings.

A change in leadership, culture, or whatever is necessary at this point, and the change itself has value, even if it doesn't help that much economically.

Yeah they need a massive overhaul in the culture department and it begins with subtraction.

No way Tavares waves. We’re stuck with him till the contract runs out next year.

 

[nuck]

JT is a problem that will solve itself in a year. Are Mitch, AM, and Willie going to be any different when he is gone? He is not personally responsible for those three failing to dominate in the post season year after year. A bad deal. Get over it. Other things are in play here that are not self correcting.

They have a shitty goalie and a shitty coach and this summer they had three chances to restructure the Dubus salary distribution and they chose not to because they have a shitty President pulling the strings. I am certain two of those things are guaranteed to change and maybe even three. The first step is STOP REPEATING THE SAME MISTAKES. Get rid of the people who think these are smart decisions and don't hire another f***ing rookie to replace them. When they have cleared that stuff off we can maybe resume bitching about about individual players as though they are the biggest problem this team has.

 

[nuck]

I'm not sure how they bring him back. I'm doubtful they will do it, but if they can't find a trade or he's unwilling to accept one, buying him out needs to be considered, even if there's very little in cap savings.

A change in leadership, culture, or whatever is necessary at this point, and the change itself has value, even if it doesn't help that much economically.

I can see him replaced as captain but once thats done I am not sure what further change in culture results from a buy out. He is a guy playing less than 18:00 a night who is overpaid but is he a cancer who makes the club better simply by not being in the dressing room? If he was making $7.5M would we need him gone as bad as Brodie or Sammy?

TBH I don't know how much the Big 3 listen to him anyways, hence his limited value as a leader. The culture changes as soon as they have a new coach and a new captain. I feel like the whole team deserves an audition for a new coach and they make most adjustments after that, with the exception being a Mitch or Willie trade where they may have to seize the opportunity the moment it is available as it could be rescinded. I fon't know who I would want as captain now. Probably Matty to add to the burden on him to produce every night.

 

[TMLife17]

Don't want him back for league min, and don't want him anywhere in management. Peace out.

 

[sunstersun]

Get him off the PP. Matthews passes him the puck, and then JT proceeds to lose it on the boards repeat x 9 times.

 

[Kazparov]

He's in the sunset phase of his career and can't carry a line anymore. He didn't have good foot speed even in his prime but made up for it with hands, strength on the boards and puck possession. Lack of mobility now is really hurting him.

I don't see how you bring him back in any role after his contract is up. He's too slow to play center , and likely shouldn't be on a scoring line. Maybe depth 3lw?

 

[SoVi3t]

I hate to admit it but I'm Team Tavares all the way. Loved the guy since juniour. Yes his contract is too much, yes he should have lost the C awhile ago and got less ice time. But he's still a voice of leadership, he's still the best damn faceoff man in the entire league, and he's still John Tavares. I want to see him hoist the Cup more than anything.

 

[Cassell]

I hate to admit it but I'm Team Tavares all the way. Loved the guy since juniour. Yes his contract is too much, yes he should have lost the C awhile ago and got less ice time. But he's still a voice of leadership, he's still the best damn faceoff man in the entire league, and he's still John Tavares. I want to see him hoist the Cup more than anything.

Not to get religious, but I think a line from the Bible sums Tavares up nicely.

“The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

He doesn’t have it anymore physically. His contract is eating up space that could, and should, be allocated more efficiently. Someone needs to sit him down this off-season and convince him to waive his no-trade clause.

 

[Hogan86]

His skating has always been an issue, but it looks like hes roller blading in mud out there. Watching him skate around the other night, reminded me of when Old Man Marleau came to the Leafs a few years back. His abilities are dropping off in a sharp decline. 6 years ago I really thought this group would have made a run by now. It's a shame to see how bad they have been the last 10 or 11 playoff games. Just a disgrace.